


but I'm not the narrator

by 七つの顔を持つ女優 (actress7faces)



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Mankai Company, Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, Meta Bullshit, Pining, Vent Fic(Sort Of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28168881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actress7faces/pseuds/%E4%B8%83%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AE%E9%A1%94%E3%82%92%E6%8C%81%E3%81%A4%E5%A5%B3%E5%84%AA
Summary: On moving out, flirting, and which KniRoun characters are cat people.
Relationships: Merlin/Mordred (A3!), Minagi Tsuzuru/Sakuma Sakuya, Nanao Taichi & Sakuma Sakuya
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	but I'm not the narrator

“...my lord, I believe your shirt just meowed at me,” said the wizard to the knight. 

“That was... simply my stomach growling! I must be off in search of a good meal.” But his defense was greatly weakened by the sudden appearance of a kitten's head poking out of Mordred's doublet. “...please, don't let my uncle hear about this.”

Merlin smirked. “Your secret will be safe with me, but I would really recommend being more... covert about your little friend there. May I?” He extended a hand towards the kitten.

“You may.” Mordred cracked a small smile. To see the famously mysterious court wizard asking to pet a kitten... even if Mordred got caught, it would be worth it. 

…

Lancelot: okay that's cute, thank you for the serotonin boost

Mordred: thank you! I just think Mordred would be the type to secretly bring home stray cats 🥺

Merlin: I can't even blame him... I've been tempted to do that a few times 💦

Mordred: same, I'm just not in a place to have a pet, otherwise I would have done it already!

Merlin: Exactly, there's just no room for anyone else here...

Merlin: related news, I'm thinking about looking for a roommate, how about it? jk 

Gareth: drop the jk. coward.

Mordred: lol don't tempt me, I would

Owain: aaaaaaaa but sakkun, you promised we'd move together after i graduate 🥺🥺🥺 don't leave meeeeeeee

Lancelot: i always forget you two are irls 

Mordred: dw, I remember 

Mordred: I just wanna get out of here soon

Merlin: Rent three ways would be cheaper... 🤔

Merlin: man

Owain: horse

Mordred: horse

Arthur: hearse

Gareth: horse

Lancelot: horse

…

Sakuya closed the chat, covering a cheesy grin with one hand. It had been about six months since he became Mordred with the Knights of Spring, and it's been... a time. Honestly, he shouldn't have been spending so much time online, but writing with everyone there just felt right in a way that nothing had in a long time. Even though he's usually the type to fade into the back of group chats, it felt like being welcomed home.

Except he made one fatal mistake. 

Somewhere along the way, that silly banter had stopped being just banter. Now, every time a certain writer looked his general direction, he can't help but smile. 

…

“Excuse me, but did you borrow the annotated atlas from the library? I need to do a bit of research before my next quest, but it's nowhere to be found.” Mordred leaned against the doorway to the wizard's chambers, thinking this the most likely place to find a missing book.

Merlin looked up from the crystal he was holding. “Ah, yes. I was considering importing some reagents, but it seems they aren't a common enough trade good to be listed.” The wizard set his work aside and went to retrieve the book.

Mordred stepped in, seeing no sense in remaining outside. “I could look for whatever it is while I'm gone, if it's something that could be found to the south.”

“Oh? That would be wonderful, thank you. I'll prepare a list.” Merlin gave a small smile as he handed over the tome. For a moment, their hands brushed together. 

A breath caught in Mordred's throat, like he had something to say and lost it in an instant. In his surprise, he lingered for a moment longer than he should have. 

Somehow, the wizard's smile seemed... knowing. But he released the book just a bit later than he could have.

…

Merlin: Ah, the pining 😫 

Mordred: we'll get there eventually!!

Merlin: I promise xD

…

“Thanks for letting me crash, Taichi-kun.” Sakuya dropped his backpack on the floor of Taichi's room. “Just until things cool down, I swear. They always let me back in eventually.”

“Man, it's pretty messed up how cold your aunt is... don't worry about it. Honestly, my parents kinda like the extra hands.” Taichi replied.

“Yeah, but...”

“Chill! You're welcome here. C'mon, let's get your mind off things. One of my classmates recommended a café near the park, so how about skating and then drinks?”

“...okay, sounds good!”

…

“I promise, I thought you were going to make it!” Taichi exclaimed, slowing down so Sakuya could keep up, limping beside him. “You go sit down, I'll order drinks and see if they'll give you some ice for that.”

Sakuya slid into the first booth, eager to take the weight off his banged-up knee. It was definitely a bad idea to try that ramp, but Taichi had insisted he could do it, and, well, he wanted to believe he could. He checked the group chat, since he had a moment. 

Arthur: so whats everyone down to!

Merlin: going to work in a bit

Gareth: nothing 

Lancelot: grinding 

Mordred: hanging with Owain, he says hi

Arthur: :OOO hello! are you having fun??

Mordred: until I fell and hurt myself yeah

Mordred: feeling dumb now 

Lancelot: f, hope you feel better tho

Merlin: aww, I kith it better

Merlin: works every time 

Mordred: 😳🥺

Sakuya put his phone down with a bit more force than was really necessary. 

“Okay, got i- Sakkun, you're looking red! Something happen?” Taichi walked up with a tray- two hot drinks and a plastic cup of ice.

Caught. “Yeah, it's... um, there's someone I met online, and I think I really like them...” Sakuya propped up his leg in the booth, setting the ice against it. “I feel so stupid, but this person is funny and clever and it FEELS like they're hitting on me, but I know there's no way.” 

Taichi settled into the other side of the booth and started sipping his drink, flinching at the heat. “Ouch... okay, why not?” 

"Huh?" Sakuya was waiting for his to cool down first.

"I mean, why is there no way this person is hitting on you? You're smart and stuff too. And if you can think they might like you, they don't hate you. So it's totally possible!" Taichi leaned in, getting excited. He always did with matters of romance- not that either of the pair was experienced with it.

Sakuya tested his drink. Perfect. “I mean, I guess... but it's like I'm seeing so many signs that I have to be making them up. Like it's all something out of one of our threads and there's a bunch of writers up there yelling about how clueless we are.”

“Isn't that what you've been doing...?” Taichi asked. 

“Yeah, but this time I'm the character, not some semi-omniscient narrator. I don't know how this ends.” Sakuya sighed, taking another sip of the steaming beverage. 

Unfortunately for Sakuya, neither am I. 

“Okay, fair.” Taichi leaned back, settling in to hear the gossip. “So give me the details, man! What are these signs? Come on, if I can't find love, at least let me live through you!”

Sakuya paused. “...okay. Um, take a look at... this.” He pulled up a screenshot of a matched pair of statuses.

…

“It's almost shameful how much I think of you... would it be asking too much to hope that you're doing the same?” - Mordred, 9:32  
1 like - Merlin, 10:05

“I didn't think that person had wild magic, and yet, when our hands brushed together, there was a spark... I can't seem to get that out of my head.” - Merlin, 10:08

…

“Huh. That's pretty gay.” Taichi commented, sipping his coffee. 

Sakuya couldn't look him in the eye while talking about these things. “But I was just projecting... he didn't have to go and indirectly respond like that.”

Taichi considered it. “Okay, but who else would Mordred be talking about?”

“Gareth, sometimes. They're good too.” Sakuya said, defending his uncertainty. 

“Did Gareth and Mordred even meet in canon?”

“Not on screen, but they could have anyways.”

“Okay, I guess- hang on, Gareth isn't relevant here. We're talking about Merlin. So, keep going!”

The two burst out laughing, Sakuya unable to hold back an embarrassed chuckle. 

“So anyways, stuff like that I can look at as like... a friend supporting my character's actions. But then this happens, and I can't see it any other way, and I feel like such a jerk for assuming his intentions...” Sakuya pulled up another post.

…

“got two tickets to the amusement park- anyone want to have an excuse to hold hands on a roller coaster? lol” sakusaku39, 10:34

chururun: Hey!

sakusaku39: hey? 😳

chururun: I'll take the ticket and the excuse. 

sakusaku39: nice, we can even go on the ferris wheel if you want!

chururun: Sounds good to me 😆

…

“I can't be any more obvious without saying it, but he's really going along with it!” Sakuya explained, giving Taichi a chance to read.

The younger redhead paused. “Wait. It's Churu you like???” He asked, wide-eyed.

Sakuya looked back in mild horror. “Oh, you didn't know he's Merlin...?” 

“No, you know I have a hard time keeping people straight!” Taichi exclaimed, with a quiet "ayyyy" under his breath.

Ignoring the bad joke, Sakuya just stared.

“I support you, dude! Just wasn't what I expected.” Taichi added after an awkward pause. “You're doing great. Go live your best life.”

Behind them, a clock chimed out the new hour. Sakuya was eager to change the subject. “Hey, we should get home before it gets dark.”

“Fine, fine.” Taichi agreed, taking their empty cups to discard. Sakuya tested his knee- feeling a bit better, at least. The pair walked out, starting the walk back to Taichi's home.

…

As the boys were leaving, it was shift change for the baristas. The dark-haired man running the counter was being replaced with a younger, sandy-haired man. 

“Oi, Tsuzuru. Don't space out when I'm trying to go home.” The older man patted his co-worker's shoulder to get his attention. 

He flinched. “Yeah, sorry. I've got it from here.”

But he wondered why that shade of pink hair on one of the customers leaving looked so familiar. 

**Author's Note:**

> Sakuya and Taichi met a few years before.  
> Owain is just a name I picked out to be able to put Taichi in that group chat. Let's say he's from KniRoun VII.  
> Churu got his handle from a younger brother mispronouncing his name.
> 
> And to answer the question from the summary: Mordred, Gawain, Lancelot, and Merlin are all cat people. Arthur doesn't care for keeping pets, and Gareth never gave it much thought.


End file.
